1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a washing apparatus and, more particularly, to a transportable animal washing apparatus.
2. Prior Art
When pets are bathed or washed, soap and water is typically splashed over the surrounding area and the person bathing the pet. Compounding this problem, pets such as dogs or cats have a natural tendency to shake off or spray excess water before they can be dried. In addition, some pets just refuse to remain stationary during any type of grooming activity.
One way pets like dogs can be bathed is in an open shower. Commercial pet grooming salons are known to use this method. In such a situation, the groomer is particularly exposed to the risk of being bitten, scratched, knocked down or otherwise harmed by the pet, in addition to the inconvenience of being soaked by the shower. Therefore, a grooming device is needed which safely and simply restrains the pet during grooming and contains the soap and water associated with bathing the pet.
Various pet grooming devices have been developed in an attempt to solve these problems. With some of the devices, the pet is enclosed in a container having four walls, a bottom and a top and a showering system. A groomer has access to the pet through access holes formed in the walls which are dimensioned to allow passage of the groomer's arm.
One potential problem with pet grooming devices of this type involves the access holes formed in the walls of the container which enable a person to contact the pet while the showering system is in operation. If the access holes in the container walls do not seal, water from the showering system as well as the soap or other cleaning medium being used is likely to splash out of the container through these access holes.
Another feature of many pet grooming devices is a restraint system such as a harness arrangement which is intended to secure and limit the movement of the pet while in the container. A number of these harness arrangements use straps in various configurations which allow the pet varying degrees of freedom to move within the container. However, none of these harnesses permit the pet to move from side-to-side or laterally within the container, i.e., toward and away from the access holes used by the groomer, while still securely restraining the pet from moving forward and backward toward either end of the container (i.e., longitudinally) or up and down within the container (i.e., vertically). Because the access holes are on the sides of the container, a harness arrangement which limits side-to-side movement could hinder efforts to groom the animal. In addition, a harness which allows longitudinal or vertical movement could increase the risk of the groomer being soiled or even harmed by the pet, as well as hinder grooming efforts.
Accordingly, a need remains for a transportable animal washing apparatus that overcomes the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a transportable apparatus that can be used to quickly and easily bathe a pet. Such an apparatus would be practical, durable, convenient, and allow a user to thoroughly clean a pet on a regular basis without the need to struggle to hold the pet in place or to deal with other hassles that usually accompany washing a pet.